Cooling jacket and heat-resistant cap for combustion chambers



June 26, 195] R. H. GODDARD 2,553,484

COOLING JACKET AND HEAT-RESISTANT CAP FOR COMBUSTION CHAMBERS Original Filed June 25, 1947 305322549. Goddat Eszflez c. Goa'a'azd, flew-bag. BY Q W I ATTORN EIY Patented June 26, 1951 COOLING JACKET AND HEAT-RESISTANT CAP FOR COMBUSTION CHADIBERS Robert H. Goddard, deceased, late of Annapolis,

Md., by Esther C. Goddard, executrix, Worcester, Mass., assignor of one-half to The Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application June 25, 1947, Serial No.

756,861, now Patent No. 2,536,598, dated January 2, 1951. Divided and this application December 6, 1949, Serial No. 131,463

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to combustion chambers as used in propulsion apparatus and in which liquid fuel and a liquid oxidizant are used, and is a division of original application Serial No. 756,861, filed June 25, 1947, Patent No. 2,536,598.

Such combustion apparatus is subjected to very high temperatures, and one object of this invention is to provide improved and eiiective means for cooling the combustion chamber and all parts of the fuel-feeding apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for injecting the combustion liquids into an annular mixing space, and for effectively intermingling said liquids, both before and after entrance thereof to the combustion chamber.

Special provision is also made for vaporizing any drops of liquid which may remain in the fuel mixture as it approaches the axis of the com bustion chamber.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view, looking in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail sectional elevations, taken along the line 4-4 and 5-5 in Fig. 3 respectively;

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view showing a slight modification;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional plan view, taken along the line 'l--I in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a partial sectional elevation showing a modification of the cooling jacket for the combustion chamber; and

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but showing an additional modification.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5 and 7, the invention is shown embodied in a combustion chamber having a corrugated outer casing II] enclosing a jacket space I l which is supplied with a cooling liquid, as gasoline, through a feed pipe l2.

At its upper end, the chamber C is contracted to provide an annular conical wall surface I and is again expanded to provide a second but reversed annular conical wall surface IS. A sleeve member 20 is secured to the upper end of the jacket casing ID and is provided with an Z i inwardly projecting annular partition 22, the inner edge of which is secured to the chamber C at the contracted inner portion thereof and at the junction of the conical surfaces [5 and [6.

An annular member 30 is secured at its outer edge portion 30a to the upper edge of the sleeve member 20 and at its inner edge portion 30b to the outer and upper edge of the conical chamber wall portion It, thus enclosing a space S to which gasoline is fed from the jacket space H through ports 32 in the partition 22.

Ports or feed openings 34 are provided in the annular member 30, through which sprays of gasoline are injected to a mixing space S, the direction of flow being shown by the arrow a in Fig. 1.

The upper part of the space S is enclosed by an annular member 40 having its outer portion 40a welded or otherwise secured at 4| to the outer portion 30a of the member 30. The inner portion 40b of the member 49 is connected to the outer edge portion of a member 45 forming the inner end of the combustion chamber C. The member 45 has an axial cylindrical portion 46 extending into the chamber 0 and encased in a sleeve or cap 48, preferably formed of carbon or other heatresisting material.

A feed pipe 50 conducts liquid oxygen to the lower end of the cylindrical portion 46, and a jacket casing 52 extends from the pipe 50 to the outer portion 40a of the member 40, where it is secured at 53. A jacket space 54 is thus enclosed between the end member 45 'and the casing 52. Liquid oxygen flows through this space 54 to ports or feed openings in the annular mem ber 40.

Sprays of liquid oxygen are thus injected substantially radially inward to the space S, as indicated by the arrow 1) in Fig. 1. These jets of oxygen then pick up the gasoline which is sprayed into the space S substantially at right angles to the path of the oxygen and intersecting the flow thereof.

A relatively narrow annular passage 62 is provided between the annular members 39 and 40 and inwardly of the space S. Inward flow of the intermingled combustion liquids from the space S is retarded by this narrow passage 62, thus providing more time for interniingling the liquids and the vapors formed therefrom by exposure to the heat of combustion.

It will also be seen that the annular space S2 between the conical surface l6 and the end member 45 expands rapidly inward, thus allowing the intermingled liquids and gases to spread out and Preliminary combustion takes place in the space S2 but combustion is not completed until the intermingled gases have fully entered the combustion chamber and are in the space below the surface l and the sleeve or cap 48.

The two parts 40a and 40b of the annular member 40 (Fig. 3), are preferably formed with lugs '10 which abut as indicated at '11 in Fig. 5 and which define the ports 60 (Figs. 3 and 4) which may be of any desired width, as determined by the length of the lugs 10. The lugs ill may be brazed or otherwise secured together.

Lon'g narrow slots provide substantially continuous intersecting sheets of fuel and liquid oxygen. 7 v

In Fig. 6, the abutting edges of the vparts llla and 401) are respectively grooved and beveled as indicated at 16, which construction is desirable for keeping the two parts :of the annular member 40 accurately concentric.

Similar-lugs and edge constructions may be adapted for the parts 301; and 30b of the member 30. The coacting parts 30 and 450 are well adapted to resist the inward pressure of the liquids fed thereto and the width of the ports is effectively maintained. V

Theouter surface of the carbon sleeve or cap 48 may desirably be grooved or roughened, as indicated at 78 in Fig. 7, to provide additional surface and to facilitate breaking-up-of the drops of combustion liquids.

The jacket casing ll] surrounding the combustion chamber C may desirably have the corrugated form shown in Fig. 1, thus providing sub stantially increased casing surface and also producing eddies in the liquid gasoline as indicated by the arrows. These eddies tend to project the gasoline against the wall of the chamber C, instead of allowing the gasoline to flow directly upward and to become separated from the jacket wall by a .layer'of gasoline vapor, as might other-- wise occur.

In Fig. 8, a 'modified jacket-casing '80 is shown in which the'corrugations are more or less pointed attheir inner edges, thus facilitating the .formation of gasoline eddies or vortices.

In Fig. 9, a further modification is shown in which the jacket casing 85 is cylindrical and in which spaces for the formation of eddiesare produced by securing tubular rings 86 in axially spaced relation along the inner face of the jacket casing 85.

In all three forms of the jacket casing, the formation of eddies is facilitated, with much improved contact between the liquid gasoline and the combustion chamber wall. Weight is also saved, as lighter and thinner jacket casings may be used.

Having thus described the invention and the advantages thereof, it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what is claimed is:

1. A combustion chamber having an outwardly conical end wall, a jacket for said end wall, an axial end portion joining said end wall and projecting into said combustion chamber and surrounded by a combustion area, means to feed a combustion liquid to said axial portion to cool said axial end portion and said end wall, a heatr'e'sis'taht cap for said axial end portion, and means to direct premixed combustion elements through said combustion area and radially of said combustion chamber toward and against said heat-resistant cap.

2. The combination in a combustion chamber as set forth in claim 1, in which the heat-resistant cap is scored on its outer surface to increase its surface area and to retard deflection of unconsumed drops of the combustion liquids.

3. A combustion chamber having an outwardly conical end wall, a jacket for said end wall, .a cylindrical casing projecting into said combustion chamber and having an inner closed end and having its open upper end joined 'to said .end wall, an axially positioned supply pipe 'for a com bustion liquid extending through and joined to said jacket and extending axially inward in said cylindrical casing but spaced from the cylindrical side wall and closed end thereof, andsaid pipe being open at its inner end, and a heatresistant cap for said cylindrical .casing'by which all parts of said casing are protected from :ex cessive heat in said combustion chamber.

4. A combustion chamber having an outwardly conical end wall, a jacket for said end wall, a cylindrical casing projecting into said combustion chamber and having an inner closed end and having its open upper end joined -to said end wall, an axially positionedsupply pipe for a combustion liquid extending through and joined "to said jacket and extending axially inward in said cylindrical casing but spaced from the cylindrical side wall and closed end thereof, .and said pipe being open at its inner end, and a heatresistant cap for said .cylindricalcasing by which all parts of said casing are protected from 'excessive heat in said combustion chamber, andsaid cap comprising a single continuous layerof heat-resistant material entirely enclosing the cylindrical side wall andclosedinner end of said cylindrical casing. V V 7 ESTHER c. GODDARD, Excc utria: of the Last Will and Testament of Robert H. Goddard, Deceased.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file .of this patent:

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